Where: 97 Errol Street North Melbourne

When: Tues-Sat 7.30-3pm

Contact: (03) 9329 0693

Vego :)

Cash Only

Chai Tea with Soy $4.50

As I'll be moving into the North Melbourne area in the next few months I decided to check out my new local food haunts. I was pleased to find that although the very average Hot Poppy and Rubicon were still going, Errol Street had moved into brighter territory. Just two doors down from the bustling ‘Auction Rooms’ sits dinky little Fandango. More like a retro share house than a café, this place is about as informal as it gets. In fact, you have to walk right through the kitchen to get to the courtyard. My discerning mother was put off by this, that and that the chef wasn’t wearing a uniform. So things are pretty relaxed at Fandango, but that doesn’t mean the service is half-hearted, in fact quite the opposite. The waiters are very bubbly and considerate, evidence of a nice work environment. The place is homage to the 1970’s with wood and pea green furnishings, little potted cacti and original vintage and floral serving plates. The outdoor courtyard is like a secret garden; little fruit trees and plants sandwiched in between high brick walls on either side. The walls shelter diners from the wind but still let the sun in. If you can, get a table out in this courtyard, it’s very peaceful.

Having visited Fandango for breakfast a week earlier, I was well aware of what the breakfasts were like; modest servings, good quality, low pricing. Now I was here for lunch and the menu was considerably more limited. Everything was a sandwich or a wrap with the exclusion of muesli and the banana bread. Being hungry, I ordered what seemed to be the biggest thing on the menu; a BLAT with an egg. Mum ordered the chicken with avocado, Swiss cheese and mayo, in a wrap. When the food arrived I wished I had ordered mine in a wrap also, as this seemed to be a much more generous portion. My sandwich was very tasty though, and the egg nice and runny. The fresh leaves of spinach were juicy and the whole thing was piping hot toasted. If anything could be improved it would be that they should have cut the fat off the bacon, as there was a lot of it.

B.L.A.T. Toasted Sandwich (with egg) $12

Mum’s wrap was really a golden, warm roti; score! The chicken was perfect and the avocado generous, but the dressing overpowered all of it. It was a pungent mix of mayonnaise and horseradish which would have been lovely if it hadn’t been layered so thickly. One bite was tasty but after a few bites neither of us felt like finishing it…we swapped meals halfway through. The coffee was delicious and well crafted but my chai tea needed more hot water and less milk. The cute tea cosy and honey pot almost made up for this.

Overall I’m pretty excited to have Fandango as my new local even if the food isn’t perfect. The coffee has so far been great every time and the staff is amazing. I wouldn’t come here for a special occasion as there isn’t anything to eat which I couldn’t make myself at home. However, it has a great atmosphere; somewhere you could sit and talk to a friend for ages. Most importantly, come bill time you are always asked “Are you paying separately or together?” The nicest words you ever could hear in a café.

Chicken Toasted Wrap $10

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambience: 4/5